Oprah Winfrey producer who worked on $8M 'you get a car' giveaway shares 'devastating' reality audience faced once cameras stopped rolling
Published on Jun 05, 2026 at 4:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jun 05, 2026 at 4:10 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
A producer who worked for Oprah Winfrey during the iconic ‘You get a car’ giveaway has revealed the ‘devastating’ reality that awaited audiences after the cameras stopped rolling.
If you’ve spent any length of time, you’ll have undoubtedly seen a gif of Oprah yelling ‘You get a car!’
This memorable TV moment unfolded back in 2004, when audience members were treated to a Pontiac G6.
It was a joyous moment, but things soon got complicated.
Oprah Winfrey gave away free cars in 2004 and made TV history
It was a $8 million car giveaway in which every member of her studio audience walked away with a Pontiac G6.
When it was announced, there was pandemonium in the studio.
Even Oprah herself got swept up in the excitement as she yelled ‘You get a car!’ repeatedly.
That iconic catchphrase may have been a spur of the moment decision, but everything else about this was planned down to the finest detail.
This was revealed in a podcast titled ‘Making Oprah: The inside story of a TV revolution’.
It all started when Gayle King, Oprah’s best friend, sat next to an executive from Pontiac on a flight.
The company offered up 25 cars for a giveaway, but Oprah’s team negotiated it up to 276 cars – one for each member of her audience.
It became a huge moment and went down in TV history.
But there was more to the story than what was transmitted across the airwaves.
What happened when the cameras stopped rolling?
The producers on the show footed the bill for the sales tax and the registration of each car, to their credit.
But an expense that snuck up on the winners was a gift tax – which was 48 percent in 2004.
That came to a bill of around $7,000.
Reflecting on the fall-out, producer Lisa Erspamer revealed how the giveaway turned ugly.
“Because we didn’t pay the gift tax, people complained to the press, and that was devastating,” she said.
TV car giveaways are more common than you might think
Despite the backlash, Oprah wasn’t deterred from doing another car giveaway.
In 2010, she gave it another go, giving away Volkswagen Beetles and words of advice.
And it’s not just on Oprah’s show that cars are being dished out.
Over on The View, Whoopi Goldberg surprised a fan with an electric SUV.
There’s also been car giveaways on The Price Is Right and Wheel of Fortune.
Even celebrities can be the beneficiaries of TV giveaways, as Justin Bieber can testify to.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
